surf ballroom

The Surf Ballroom is one of the last ballrooms in the area. They host a summer Big Band series, bringing in the big bands playing the music from the old days. So much fun to dance to In The Mood and many other favorites of the era. Great wood floor to dance on. Also is the last place Buddy Holly played so much memorabilia from rockers and musicians across the spectrum. Worth the stop if you are in town.

This is a must see!! We stopped at the ballroom first and what a pleasure it was. When you walk in it's like stepping back into history. Everything has been restored beautifully. For a small donation (suggested $5) you can walk around and explore all the historical things that happened here. Go on the stage that so many artists and legends have performed on. Dance on the original maple floor, sit in one of the original booths, and soak up the nostalgia that this place has to offer. This was a great addition to our road trip.

If you're in Clear Lake, and you have a love of music, you MUST see the Surf! It's been beautifylly restored, and you can really feel what it was like to have been there when Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens performed in 1959. Be sure to see the Surfside 6 Cafe, too - lots of musical artifacts, including Don McLean's handwritten lyrics to "American Pie."

Thank you to the Snyder family for protecting such an historic gem and returning it to its glory. Walking through the photo galleries filled with pictures of past performers is outstanding as is the quality of music being booked currently truly wonderful!

Anywhere in the place puts you close to the stage. Absolutely a must when in this part of the US. Besides being a great place to see a band, there's so much nostalgia connected to it and it's all right there on display.

Amazing place. It is like you have a time machine. Straight out of the 50's . Had the place to ourselves, middle of the day on a Wed. You can walk around everywhere. Can stand right on the stage where the greats played. Just was wonderful place to visit!

Saw the Beach Boys this past Sunday at the Surf Ballroom. Show was excellent and the venue is a must do for music lovers and history buffs. It feels like you stepped back in time the moment you walk through the front doors. Very Cool!

First time in forty years to go back to the surf ballroom. Great place to see a show. Staff extremely helpful and nice.

I've been here a couple times - once with just my wife and again with my siblings. First time through we saw more of the history side which was very cool. If you're a fan of classic rock, or music in general, this is a stop you don't want to miss! The entire atmosphere is just awesome.We also got to take in a concert (The Spazmatics) as well. The band was great and the venue was perfect for it. A bit high for drink costs; but to party in such a venue -- it's a small price to pay!Can't wait for our next visit!

We visited the museum (which is free) and we kind of tagged in with a group tour that were watching a movie in the ballroom about the Winter Carnival and the entertainers. It was extremely interesting. The displays were very nice and I think I looked at each photograph and artifact on display. The concert venue looks to be extremely intimate and would like to return at some point to experience that. Well worth the time it takes to go through the museum.

My wife and are from that "era" of music. We first visited the Surf in 2008 and stopped again earlier this month. It's always interesting and informative and takes one back in time to when that music was popular. Oh for those "good old days" and music.

First off I feel the proprietors could easily charge something for a visit yet it is free! The people who were working at the facility shared their vast knowledge of the ballroom and the many stars that appeared at the venue since the thirties. Yes we went there as fans of early rock music but the active place that the Surf is proved to be huge and historic. The seating area, bar and dressing room were open for all. I even took a picture in the mens room that so accurately depicted the bygone era.

Nice small atmosphere venue with decent acoustics. There's some booths around the edges for an extra fee but I've found you probably won't be sitting much. The floor is open with no seating and almost everybody is out on the floor. No matter where your at, you are close to the stage/band. It's a part of history so it's a can't miss if your in the area.

I travelled to Iowa especially to see this attraction, and it didn't disappoint. I fully expected to cry at the crash site, but the tears came as soon as I walked into the Surf Ballroom. What an absolutely fantastic place this is. It has been so faithfully restored to it's original style that you feel that you are walking straight back into 1959. To see the venue of my hero's last ever gig was something I will never ever forget. My wife is not a rock 'n' roll fan but she enjoyed this visit immensely and could easily understand why it had the effect on me that it did. My camera was used in overdrive and I made a couple of purchases in the well equipped gift shop to help me remember my fantastic trip. Thank you to the current owners who have done such a wonderful job of honouring the memory of Buddy, Ritchie & Jape.

Great Place to see a show. Check the website for available tables but if there are no good ones don't pay to reserve one as there is always somewhere to sit.